Prodigy christens Net access service

Prodigy is moving closer to launching its "pay-as-you-surf" $1 hourly Internet access service, dubbed today as Access Net Direct.

The service is being tested in New York and will be released across the United States this summer, according to Prodigy. The idea is to eliminate flat-rate surcharges and let users pay only for the hours they are using the Internet. The service does not give access to Prodigy's proprietary content.

Currently, New York subscribers receive one hour free per month and an additional five hours for every 15 hours that they log on. The company said it will decide whether to offer free hours to users of the full-fledged service after evaluating the trial, Prodigy said.

The number-three online service also launched an Access Net Direct site today to provide product information and customer support.